


The Birthday Party

by days_of_storm



Series: The Words Not Spoken [11]
Category: My Engineer (TV)
Genre: Birthday Party, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fancy Dress, Fluff, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mutual Pining, Outdoor Sex, RST, SO MUCH FLUFF, UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:34:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29144532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/days_of_storm/pseuds/days_of_storm
Summary: Bohn throws a fancy birthday party and Ram has to make several decisions, including what to wear.
Relationships: King/Ram (My Engineer)
Series: The Words Not Spoken [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863481
Comments: 29
Kudos: 87





	The Birthday Party

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mazarin221b](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazarin221b/gifts), [cynical_ravenclaw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynical_ravenclaw/gifts), [Luandachan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luandachan/gifts).



> This fic is brought to you by popular demand: This is a story about Ram wearing his leather pants ...
> 
> It's quite long, but I didn't want to split it into chapters, so it kinda does count as a one-shot, heh XD 
> 
> Ram's POV

Ram knew something was different when he came home from the gym, dropped his bag and took off his shoes only to be confronted with a very anxious looking King. Usually, King would be at his desk getting his reading done while Ram was away. He had told him he used his time wisely so that he could help Ram with his work if he had questions. Yet, King’s tutoring had helped him so effectively that it was a rare occasion now for him to not understand a question or fail at solving a problem. Every now and then, he made some up, only to have King push his hair back and pull his chair closer, patiently going through the exercises with him.

There were few things Ram loved more than to hear King explain something that he was very good at and that he loved. He suspected that King knew that he didn’t really struggle much anymore, but he answered his questions every single time. 

Yet, this time, King wasn’t at the desk, but chewed on his lip and tugged at the hem of his t-shirt, looking like he felt guilty about something that he had to confess, but didn’t quite know how to.

Ram decided to make it easier for King and simply ask him, but he also really wanted a kiss, so he walked right into his arms, knowing that King would instinctively hug him if he stepped too close to him. 

“You showered at the gym,” King noted quietly. 

“Hmm.”

When King didn’t say anything else, Ram pulled back a little and then kissed him. King melted against him, and for some time, Ram was almost certain that he had been wrong about King’s anxiety. Yet, when they finally pulled apart and Ram went to get his gym clothes to put them in the laundry, King followed him to the bathroom, standing awkwardly in the door, watching him.

“What’s wrong, P’King?” he finally asked, not wanting to draw this out any longer. At least he knew that it couldn’t be something serious, because then King would have told him earlier. 

“Bohn’s birthday is coming up.”

“And?”

“He’s going to … well. It’s going to be an … event.”

“An event?”

“Well, a big event. Lots of people, formal dress, probably a lot of alcohol and food and … well, a lot of people.”

“And you don’t want to go? Why?”

King huffed. “No, I do. I mean, it’s going to be exhausting, but …” he chewed on his lip again and Ram decided that this wouldn’t do. 

He walked back to him and pulled his lower lip out from between his teeth. “This is my job,” he said and leaned forward, kissing him again and then trapping his lower lip between his own teeth, pulling very gently. 

King laughed, and he seemed relieved, even though Ram wasn’t sure why that was. 

“Tell me.”

“He wants you to come.”

Ah. That was why King was worried. 

“Can I think about it?”

King pulled a grimace and Ram began to understand that for some strange reason, Bohn seemed to have insisted that Ram would be there, too. He just didn’t understand why. 

“Did he fight with Duen?” he asked, tugging at King’s t-shirt, trying to make sense of it all.

“I’m not sure. But he was adamant that you come, too.”

“Formal dress, you said?”

“Hmm, yes. But I think that’s a little open to interpretation.”

Ram let his eyes wander down King’s body. “I hope it’s not,” he finally said and kissed King again. 

It was only after they had gone to bed, with Ram lying on his stomach, happily exhausted after making love to King, while King rested his head on his back, reading something on his phone, that King suddenly sat up. 

“Wait, so you are coming?”

Ram turned his head to look at King, considering making a lame joke and pretend to have misunderstood him, but he was very aware of what King was referring to, so he didn’t. 

“If I get to see you in last year’s Christmas suit again, then yes.”

King’s face lit up with one of his bright smiles and Ram couldn’t regret committing to attending an undoubtedly tedious event during which he would probably have to help drag at least one of his friends to the toilet to throw up. But seeing King so happy now was worth it. 

“Maybe I’ll get another one,” King mused. 

“Why?”

“Because that suit is precious, and I don’t want to spill drinks on it.”

Ram smiled and squeezed his knee. “Okay.”

“But I’ll get to see you in a tuxedo,” King said, his smile still impossibly bright. “And a bow tie!”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“What do you mean, maybe?”

“I’ve never worn a tuxedo. And bow ties look uncomfortable.”

“Well, so are ties.”

“My point exactly.”

“You don’t miss your year one uniform, do you?” King chuckled and put his phone away. 

“No. I really don’t.”

“But you looked so, so good in that shirt,” King sighed and wrapped himself around Ram. “I do miss it.”

Ram chuckled. Maybe wearing a tuxedo just to see King’s reaction would be worth it. He drifted off, loving the pressure of King’s body against his back. 

“Ai’Ning!” King said after a long time and Ram forcefully pulled himself out of the liminal space between dream and wakefulness. He grunted his acknowledgement.

“Could you wear a vest, too?”

“Why?”

King hugged him harder, pressing his face against his shoulder. “Because if you took the jacket off, you …” he stopped, and Ram wondered why King was getting so excited all of the sudden. 

“What?” he asked, sighing deeply with the need to sleep. 

“Fuck, Ram. You’d look so good. If it were bespoke and would fit you perfectly …”

“P’King?” he interrupted King before he could pull back and sit up again. While he was secretly happy that King was so excited about him wearing formal clothes, he was too tired to fully appreciate it. “Please go to sleep.”

King inhaled deeply. “Sorry. Good night.”

“Night.”

** * **

The next morning, King was already out of bed when Ram woke up. He shuffled into the kitchen to find King on the couch, a large mug of coffee in one hand and his phone in his other hand. 

“Morning,” King smiled briefly at him before he directed his attention back to the phone.

“Why are you awake?” Ram asked. King simply motioned at the space next to him on the couch. 

“Have a look!”

Ram sat down, stole the mug from King and drank about half of it in one go before he handed it back and then rested his head on King’s shoulder. Oh.

“I know they are expensive, but you can rent some and …”

“No,” Ram sighed. “I don’t think so.”

King sat up straight, making it impossible for Ram to lean against him like he had. “Why?”

“I don’t think I’d be comfortable.”

“In general, or in a tux?”

“In general, but as long as you are there, I’ll be fine. What I mean is that I don’t want to wear something that I haven’t worn before. I’d be paranoid about it and constantly check whether everything is where it should be.”

King snorted and glanced at Ram and Ram elbowed him, almost making him drop his mug.

“I’ll find something to wear.”

“Okay, but would you wear a three piece suit some other time?”

“Just so you can take it off me?” Ram chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe one day. But not for Bohn’s birthday.”

“But he said formal dress.”

“It’ll be fine.”

King exhaled and then sent him the details to his phone. Ram chuckled at the wording. Bohn was clearly trying to impress Duen. Maybe, because Duen’s father was in town for a couple of weeks and, after even after officially coming out to his parents, Duen wasn’t entirely sure whether his father accepted his relationship with Bohn, no matter how long they had already been together. 

“Okay, I’m going back to bed,” Ram announced and then kissed King briefly before dragging himself back into the bedroom. He knew King had hoped for him to be more susceptible to the suggestion, but the thought of wearing a stuffy suit in a room full of people sounded utterly exhausting to him. If King wanted to see him in a suit, there would be other occasions for that, he thought with a smile, wondering how much it would cost to get a bespoke three-piece suit. He texted Duen that he would need his help and then hid under the covers. 

When he woke up again, King was in bed with him, lying on his stomach, reading a book. He smiled at Ram when he stirred, stretching lazily. 

“Ready to get up?” King asked, reaching out to touch his cheek. 

“Can we just stay in bed?” Ram suggested, yawning heartily. 

“I’m sorry,” King said quietly and closed the book. 

“Hmm?” Ram was surprised. “Why?”

“Because I knew this would happen.”

“What?” he moved a little closer to King. 

“That you’d feel daunted.”

Ram stilled. King wasn’t entirely wrong. There wasn’t any reason why he should be so tired, despite having slept in. If anything, it was a Saturday like all Saturdays had been in recent months. They’d have an extended breakfast, go to see his dogs and take them for a walk, have lunch with his family before leaving for King’s to spend the afternoon there, usually ending up making out and talking in King’s little garden house. It was good to pack it all into one day, because Ram could mentally prepare for it. But now he just felt like staying in bed, and maybe convincing King to climb beneath the covers with him. 

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

King nodded. “It’s fine. I’ll tell mum we’re not coming today.”

Ram finally closed the distance between them and attached himself to King’s side, rubbing his face against his shoulder. “Thank you.”

King chuckled. “Ai’Ning, how are you this adorable?”

“I’m not.”

King shook his head and pushed Ram onto his back so he could kiss him. “Yes, you are.”

** * **

Adorable. As if! A week later, Ram stared at his reflection as he shaved. He would show King just how wrong he was!

King had left early to help Bohn with the preparations. He had told Ram that he would get ready at Bohn’s place as well and then meet him at the party, but if Ram felt like he wouldn’t go if he wasn’t with King, he’d come and meet him on the way there. He had looked truly worried again and Ram was slightly surprised to note that he didn't feel as reluctant as he thought he would be. One reason might have been that he had told Bohn straight that he would not show up in a tuxedo, but that he would not come in jeans either. Bohn had looked sceptical, and then amused, and then told him to do whatever he pleased. He really only wanted his immediate circle of friends to dress up and did not mind if the others wore more casual looks. But he hadn’t told them that. 

“So, Duen is coming in a Hawaiian shirt, then?” Ram had asked and Bohn had choked on his coffee. 

Duen had promised to come over and help Ram get ready. He had taken an extensive shower and was now shaving carefully, thinking about what he would do with his hair. He had just finished when the door bell rang. 

Ram quickly wrapped a towel around his hips and went to open the door, finding that Duen hadn’t come alone. Ting Ting stood next to him, wearing the brightest grin he had ever seen on her. “The make-over team is here,” she announced and pushed herself past Ram into the condo. Her dress was secured in a garment-bag and she dragged a small suitcase behind her. 

“Oh?” Ram stared at Duen who just shrugged. 

“She insisted.”

Ram looked at Duen, who was clearly already dressed for the party. He wore a nicely cut shirt and midnight blue dress pants. He had his jacket and a tie thrown over his arm. So, no tuxedo for Duen either. Ram was relieved. 

“Ram, where is your outfit?” Ting Ting called from the bedroom and Ram immediately ran after her. She stood in front of the open wardrobe, thankfully not going through it, but staring at the assortment critically. 

“Ting, please!”

“What? Anything I’m not supposed to see?”

Ram knew his ears were going slightly pink, but he pretended that he hadn’t been scared that she would pull out her gift box and realise that not only all of her condoms had long since been used but that the box now held several other items that he wasn’t too keen on anyone seeing, except for King, who was largely responsible for the fact that the box was so full now the lid barely closed over it anymore. 

Instead of answering, he pulled out his outfit from the back of the wardrobe. Thing immediately took it from him and threw it on the bed. “Alright. Let’s start with your underwear.”

“What? Why?” Ram tucked the towel around his hips a little tighter. 

“Oh?” She looked impressed. “No underwear? Bold choice, darling.”

Ram sighed and turned to pluck his black pants from the drawer. 

“Ah.”

“Ting!”

“Yes?”

“Why are you still in my bedroom?”

Ting Ting pouted and then plucked the towel off him with one swift movement as she turned away from him. “I’m not looking.”

“If you are going to take photos, I will …”

“Fine,” she sighed and Ram could see her slip her phone back into her dress pocket. 

“Ting!” he complained, and then realised he was still completely naked and he hurried to put on his underwear. 

“Duen? Do you have my shoes?” he called out as he fished plain black socks from the drawer. 

Duen walked into the room, giving Ting Ting a judgemental look before handing Ram his shoes. Ram had only worn them a couple of times, the last time having been his high school graduation, and he prayed that they would still fit him. Duen had picked them up from his parents’ house on the way. 

“Ram, don’t put on your shirt yet. We have to do your hair and makeup first,” Ting Ting pointed out when he went to the bed to get dressed. “Let’s go to the bathroom.”

Ram sighed. He knew it would be useless to argue with her. She had come on a mission and he would just have to go along with whatever she had put her mind to. By Duen’s expression, he could tell that he had gone through a similar process, only that Bohn had probably told her not to interfere with Duen’s outfit too much, which was the only reason he still looked his usual self. 

Ting Ting placed him in front of the mirror and then looked at him critically. “We need to do something about your hair,” she finally said. “Don’t move.”

She went to get her little suitcase and Ram flinched when she pulled out hair clippers. 

“What are you doing?”

Ting Ting squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “Do you trust me?”

Duen snorted somewhere out of sight and Ram had to bite back his own laugh. “Well, it really depends.”

“You’re not the first one whose hair I cut.”

“Do you want to shave it off?”

“No! Ram! Are you insane? Just trimming the sides a little. Like you used to wear your hair in school.”

“Oh,” Ram nodded. “Okay.”

“Now, I’m asking again, because I won’t do this if you say no.”

Ram nodded. “I’ll get a chair.”

** * **

When he looked at himself in the mirror, he almost didn’t recognise the person that was staring back at him. He wasn’t usually overly critical of his looks, but he had to admit that Ting Ting had done an admirable job in making him look pretty damn good. He had to grin when Ting Ting snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

“I expected this kind of look from your boyfriend, but not you,” she mocked him gently. “But I dare say, you do look pretty handsome.”

She had taken her time on his face, not only clipping the hair behind his ears and styling the rest of it in dark slick curls on the top of his head, but she had applied eyeliner, mascara and the hint of a smoky eye, filled in his eyebrows, given him the slighest blush with rouge and applied lipstick that she promised could withstand a night of snogging. He wasn’t overly keen on testing that at a party, but he wouldn’t mind not having to think about it when eating or drinking. 

“Hold on, just a couple more things,” she said and added two clip-on earrings to the top of his left ear. Then she stepped back and nodded. “Now go get dressed while I do Duen. And don’t get makeup on the shirt.”

He went back to the bedroom where he finished putting on his outfit. He was happy to see that his shoes still fit him, but he was also slightly disappointed that he hadn’t grown any more since his high school graduation. 

Once he was done, he texted King, asking him whether everything was going according to plan. King immediately responded.

_“It’s not going to be as large scale as I thought it would. But still. Huge room. Lots of space. Two bars. A stage. Way too much alcohol. But, I already reserved us a table at the far side of the room with a couple of larger plants arounds, so it’s not all that exposed.”_

Ram smiled. It was clear King was trying to make it seem less stressful than he feared it would be while trying to prepare him for it all. 

_“I love you.”_

He sent the text before he could change his mind. He said the words so rarely, and he had only typed them out a handful of times, and deleted most of the messages before sending them, but this time he felt that he needed to say it. 

When his phone rang, he jumped. His heart took up speed as he raised it to his ear.

“Awww, Ning. I love you, too,” King said happily. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Ting Ting came over to help me and Duen to prepare.”

“Oh, and she isn’t instagramming it live?”

For a moment, Ram felt cold fear slide down his back, but then he remembered that he had asked her not to take pictures, and she had had her hands full afterwards. 

“No.”

“So, you are still coming, yes?”

Ram huffed. “Of course, I’m still coming. I didn’t just sit in a chair for an hour, having Ting play beauty salon on me only to stay home.”

“Can you send a picture?”

“No! I want to surprise you.”

“Oi, unfair!”

“No, it’s not. Are you all dressed up already?”

King sighed on the other end of the phone. “Almost, yes.”

“Can’t wait to see you,” Ram admitted, wondering how it was possible after more than a year of being with King that he still missed him when they weren’t in the same room together. 

“Same,” Ram could hear the smile in his voice and it only made him miss him more. “Ai’Ning! I have to go.”

“Okay.”

“See you in a bit!”

“Bye!”

The silence after the call was almost oppressive and Ram went to check on Duen and Ting Ting. He was amazed to see that she had done his makeup, too, and how good he looked with his hair styled into soft curls. 

“Ting, you’re a magician,” Duen grinned at her. “Honestly. Thank you!”

She chuckled. “Give me a few minutes to do my hair and makeup and then we go and eat all of the food that exists at that party.”

“Can we agree not to get drunk tonight?” Ram asked, knowing he was raising a sensitive issue.

“What do you mean? It’s Bohn’s birthday and there’s free booze!”

“Exactly,” Ram nodded. “Maybe we don’t cause him any trouble?”

Ting Ting narrowed her eyes at him through the mirror. “Since when are you concerned about causing Bohn trouble?”

Duen seemed to agree, because he looked at him with a similar expression. 

“I don’t know. I just think that there might be some people there who wouldn’t be happy to see all of Bohn’s friends get drunk within the first hour of this party?”

“Oh,” Ting Ting gave Duen a telling look. “He’s talking in the collective to make it seem like he’s including himself.”

Ram rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. Yes. Please don’t drink so much?”

Ting Ting continued on her eye makeup as she hummed her agreement. “I promise that you don’t have to worry about getting me home.”

Ram exhaled. He realised that he had been more worried about that than about being overwhelmed by the mass of people. With Ting Ting’s promise, he felt that he could handle the rest. If the music was loud enough and the room dark enough, he could just pretend to be somewhere else where nobody knew him. And maybe he could flirt with a tall, dark and handsome young man and invite him back to his place. 

“Ram?” Duen materialised in front of him, frowning. 

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay? You just kind of zoned out there for a moment.”

Ram had to chuckle. “Sorry. Yes, I’m okay.”

“Okay, let’s have some coffee before we go, maybe?” Duen suggested and steered him out of the bathroom. They sat in the kitchen and talked quietly as they waited for Ting Ting to get ready. When she came out of the bathroom, fully dressed except for her shoes, they were both a little shocked. She looked absolutely stunning. 

The dress itself was simple enough, but it fit her like a glove and she had somehow managed to make her ponytail look glamorous while her makeup made her look dark and mysterious. 

“Pick up your jaws from the floor, boys. I have rehearsed this look for weeks now.”

“Ting, you look beautiful!” Ram almost whispered, in awe at how changed she appeared. Somehow, both the outfit and the makeup made her seem much more mature than he had realised she probably was by now. He still saw her as the loud and hilarious fifteen-year-old who treated every snack as if it might be her last and who was never afraid to voice every single thought that came to her mind. He realised that it was high time that he adapted his perception. 

Ting Ting smiled widely at them and then did a little twirl. “It’s almost time to go, hmm? Give me some of that.” She plucked Duen’s coffee out of his hands and finished it. “Better.”

“I’ll leave the suitcase here and pick it up some other time, yeah? I don’t want to drag it to the party with me.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Have you got Bohn’s present?” She asked Duen, and he looked panicked for a second until he exhaled loudly and nodded. “Yes, P’King has it.”

“Good. Call a cab, Ram, will you?”

** * **

He exhaled slowly, letting Ting Ting and Duen go first. His friends had been uncharacteristically quiet in the cab, and he had appreciated it. Now he could almost feel the noise and the heat drumming against his skin before they had entered the clubhouse Bohn had rented for the party. 

Well, if things became too much, at least there was a lovely garden with a couple of benches and a pond that he could see from where he stood. He could always come out here in case he needed to get away for a bit. 

“Coming?” Duen had stopped and looked back at him and Ram nodded. “Sorry, yes.”

“Ugh, these stairs. Ram! Lend me a hand?” Ting Ting stood with her foot on the first step leading up to the door, clearly in complete control of her legs and with no discernible reason to ask for his help. He rushed forward and took her arm, smiling at her gratefully. 

“P'King is going to get a nosebleed,” she grinned just as Duen opened the door. 

He missed the expected shock that usually came with immediate sensory overload as he giggled at her joke and almost caused her to stumble, but she clung to him and he was busy getting them safely inside while he didn’t pay too much attention to their surroundings. 

Once he had gotten her to a bar chair and she loosened her grip on him, he dared to look around. The music wasn’t as loud and the lights weren’t as flashy as he had expected, but there was already quite a crowd and, as far as he could see, most guests had stuck to the dress code. 

He did realise that several pairs of eyes had settled on them, but he remembered that Ting Ting looked like a goth princess and he realised that he would probably have to stay close to her until Tang and Phu showed up. 

He hadn’t seen Bohn nor Duen's parents yet, and he couldn’t spot King either, so he went to get some soda for Duen and Ting Ting and some water for himself, and then allowed Ting Ting to straighten his clothes and poke his hair a little before her eyes flashed and she turned him around and gave him a little shove. He was so surprised that he took a few steps forward, barely avoiding walking into a waiter. 

Once he had passed him, his eyes suddenly settled on King and his mouth went dry. 

If he didn’t know better, he would have guessed that Ting Ting had also spent an hour in the bathroom with him. His hair was styled into soft waves and parted slightly to the right, and the way the light touched his face made it clear that he wore shimmer on his eyelids, even if it was probably invisible in normal light. His lips were just a shade darker than usual, but he knew exactly what colour they usually were, so he could tell immediately. 

And he wore a full tuxedo. He had really gone and gotten himself the full outfit, white bow tie and all, and shoes so shiny he could barely look at them. And then the light changed and he realised that the lapels on his jacket were of a deep, velvety purple and that he wore cufflinks of the same colour.

God, cufflinks on King. He had never expected to see that in his life, and what he had expected even less was how his mind immediately pictured him trying desperately to get them off so he could take the shirt off. 

Just to make sure he wasn’t imagining it, he let his eyes wander over King's body again from head to toe and then back up again. And then King spotted him and he just stopped moving. 

He had seen King do that a couple of times since they had become a couple, mostly when King had been distracted and Ram had disappeared and taken a shower and then returned to the room, wearing fewer things than before. King had always gone through a second of confusion when he realised that something had changed and Ram most definitely hadn’t been half naked when he had last looked at him, but he usually got through that stage fairly quickly. 

This time, he didn’t. He had been in mid-movement and his hand still hung awkwardly in the air in front of him as he had gestured at Bohn. His mouth was slightly open, as if he had been about to speak and then just forgotten to actually say something, his eyes almost comically wide. 

For a moment, Ram wondered whether he had spotted Ting Ting, but then King’s eyes went the same route his own had taken when he had first looked at King and he felt heat rise to his face. He swallowed when King reached his face and then finally dropped his hand and closed his mouth. 

“Ram?” he said, just loud enough for him to hear, because even though they only stood a few yards away from each other, the music was loud enough to drown him out. King rarely ever called him by his name when they were in public, and it made Ram giddy.

He smiled, finally realising that King was just as taken with him as he was with King’s look, and when King mirrored his smile, he felt a little weak in the knees. God, King was gorgeous like that. 

“Hey,” he stepped forward, stopping only when he was an armlength away from King.

“You put them on,” King said, looking down his body again. “You actually put on your leather pants for this.” He shook his head then, as if he couldn’t quite believe Ram. 

Ram shrugged. “I told you I would find a solution.”

King was still shaking his head, and still looking down, and Ram was almost certain now that he had blushed, but it was hard to tell with the ever-changing light. 

“Oh, _hello_!” Bohn suddenly showed up behind King, throwing an arm around his shoulder and giving Ram a very flirty once over. “King, why didn’t you tell me you have a Rockstar for a boyfriend?” Then he winked at Ram and King gave him such an offended glare than Bohn immediately withdrew from him.

“I’ll go and find my own boyfriend,” he chuckled and then was gone. 

“And the shirt,” King added as if Bohn’s interruption hadn’t happened. Ram realised he should have probably wished Bohn a happy birthday, but somehow, he hadn’t been able to react at all.

Ram nodded. “Of course.”

“I honestly don’t know why I didn’t guess.”

Ram stepped a little closer to him and King took his hand and squeezed. There were too many people around to do anything more, but Ram could feel in his small touch how reluctant King was to let go again. 

“You look gorgeous,” Ram said quietly, knowing that King probably had to read his lips to understand the words. And then his eyes stayed where they were until Ram cocked his head a little and smirked. 

The blush that rose to King’s face then was obvious even in the colourful light and Ram realised that he might have underestimated the effect his outfit would have on King. 

He knew King had wanted him to wear his leather pants, but there simply hadn’t been any opportunity to, so they had stayed in the wardrobe, together with his shirt. King had asked him about it several times, and once suggested he wear it just so he could look at him in those pants, but then King’s sister had dropped by and they hadn’t really talked about it since. 

“Are you okay?” he asked and King suddenly looked helplessly turned on. Ram wasn’t even sure what exactly it was, but he felt it like heat from a bonfire he had stepped too close to. When King took a final step to close the distance between them, Ram took a step back.

“What are you doing?” he asked, loudly enough to snap King out of whatever state he was in. At least he hoped he was. 

King inhaled deeply and very clearly forced himself to let go of Ram’s hand. Then he finally looked away from Ram and seemed to realise where he was and why and his expression immediately slipped into a forced, goofy smile. “I have to go. I’ll be back!” He pointed at the back of the room. “If you want to sit down, that’s our table over there. I’ll have to stay with Bohn for the first part of the program, but I’ll join you as soon as I can.” 

Then he pushed his hair back as he always did when he was nervous and seemed to realise too late that he would mess it up if he dragged his fingers through it, so he stopped in mid-movement and Ram gaped. 

He had gotten an undercut, hidden by his long hair, but obvious now that he had pushed it back. A good three inches of hair had been shaved off and Ram suddenly had to fight the urge to touch his closely cropped hair, knowing how amazing it would feel against the tips of his fingers. From one moment to the next, he hoped that there would be a blackout or an earthquake, or hell, even just a small fire, to put this party to an end before it had really started so he could take King home and get his hands on him. 

“P’King?” he asked, trying not to say one of the many other things that crossed his mind just then. “Did Ting help you get ready earlier today?”

King nodded. “She insisted.”

A flash went off right in their faces and they both instinctively stepped away from each other. Ting Ting was grinning at them like a Cheshire Cat and then took another photo. “Come on, stand a little closer together.”

Well, a photo was a good excuse, wasn’t it? Ram immediately slipped his arm around King’s back, tucking him closer by the hip. He wasn’t sure whether he had imagined the resulting grunt, but his heart took up speed anyway. 

He tried to look neutral for the photo, and when Ting Ting had taken it, he automatically looked at King, fighting the urge to push his hair back and touch him. 

“She did yours, too, hmm?” King asked, doing what Ram didn’t dare to do, brushing his fingers along the base of his skull. Despite the heat in the room, Ram’s skin broke out in goosebumps. 

“P’King,” he breathed, shaking his head lightly. 

Instead of pulling away, King leaned in closer, his lips touching the shell of his ear as he murmured. “I can’t wait to kiss you.”

And then he was gone. 

Ram stood there, in the middle of the room, staring at the spot where King had disappeared a moment ago, trying to remember how to breathe. He forced himself to move, making his way over to the table King had indicated. Ting Ting joined him a moment later, her grin still as wide as it had been. 

“You like it, don’t you?”

Ram gave her a searing look before he buried his face in his hands. “How am I supposed to survive tonight?”

“Well, I dare say at least he feels the same way.”

“I shouldn’t have put them on,” he murmured, wondering if things would have gone differently if he had just done what King had asked him to do and rented a tuxedo as well. He really couldn’t care less about what would have happened to that suit. But now he remembered the way King had looked each time he had mentioned the leather pants and he realised that maybe he should have allowed King to see him wear them before surprising him in a room that held at least 50 other people by now. 

“Ai’Ram?” Ting Ting elbowed him. 

“Hmm?” he looked at her, wondering if maybe he should ask her to get him a drink. 

“I’ll go and find Duen. Are you going to be okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

She squinted at him as if she didn’t quite believe him, and then walked away, her hips swinging. Once again, Ram found himself amazed by his friend. 

He leaned back a little and scanned the room. Finally, he found Bohn, who was talking to what looked like the band, and then his eyes met King’s all away across the room and he gasped with the intensity of their connection. It was not even about his outfit and his hair anymore, but the mere fact that they had surprised each other and that King had been seeking out his eyes in exactly the same moment that Ram had found him sent jolts of white heat down his spine. 

He pulled out his phone, shaking his head at himself. 

_“Meet me in the bathroom?”_

He watched King as he pulled out his phone, frowning at him before he read the text. And then Ram witnessed a glorious second in which King seemed to lose all control over his facial expression and he simply stared at him, wide eyed. When Ram shrugged helplessly, he seemed to pull himself together and began typing. 

_“The official part is about to start. I can’t.”_

Ram tried to look disappointed, but he wasn’t sure whether it translated. He picked up his phone again.

_“Well, I won’t be getting up from this table anytime soon, then.”_

_“RAM!”_

_“Yes?”_

King tried to glare at him, but he failed so spectacularly that they both had to laugh. It helped Ram a little to let go of the tension and he put down his phone and exhaled slowly, trying, for the first time, to take in the room properly. He noted that there was a large screen door not very far away from where he sat which led out into the garden, too. King really had done his best to make him feel as comfortable as he could. 

He picked up his phone again.

_“Okay, not the bathroom. The garden. As soon as you can.”_

He looked up to find King’s eyes on him again even before he pressed send and he couldn’t help but smile. When King read the text, he cocked his head and smirked and Ram had to look away again. This was definitely going to be an interesting evening. 

The sound of microphones being tested and the a few guitar riffs that substituted the music that had been playing until then quietened the general noise of the room as the guests drew closer to the stage. Ram felt a little silly, sitting in the corner by himself, but he also felt much more comfortable than he would have felt among the crowd. 

Bohn appeared on stage and for the first time, Ram took in his outfit, too. He looked, well, like a very affluent young man who had decided that his birthday would be a special occasion this year. Ram spotted Duen and Ting in the room just when Phu and Tang joined them. And then Duen’s parents appeared right behind them and Ram began to realise that he hadn’t been wrong about his initial assumption. Bohn had something to prove to Duen’s dad, and this was a language he understood perfectly. 

He decided to watch King as Bohn welcomed the guests, finding himself smiling along as King stood in the crowd, entirely confident and at peace with the situation. Ram felt a twinge of jealousy, but also pride. He cheered and clapped along as Bohn introduced the band, the staff, the drinks menu and the food options, explaining the rough schedule of the evening and promising that there would be cake, at some point. Once he put the microphone down, the light was dimmed and several sparklers were lit and then suddenly, King and Duen were carrying a gigantic cake onto the stage. 

Bohn looked truly surprised and Ram could see how proud Duen and King were that they had managed to pull it off. Bohn needed several attempts to blow out the candles, but when his eyes didn’t leave Duen, Ram suddenly understood that something more was going to happen.

He sat up straighter in his chair as to be able to see better. 

Bohn took the microphone again and politely expressed his gratefulness, but then he took hold of Duen’s wrist and pulled him closer to him and Ram could see Duen’s eyes go a little wide. 

“Duen,” Bohn started, and then he exhaled loudly before he turned to face him. “I know things haven’t always been easy with me, and that I have been impatient and rash and sometimes I simply did not listen to you, and I want to apologise for that.”

He paused for a moment, simply looking at Duen, and Duen looked back at him. Ram had imagined that Duen would have felt daunted by the speech, especially since they were on such clear display to every single person in the room, but he stood in front of Bohn, calm and entirely collected. 

“And …,” Bohn continued, fidgeting a little with the cable of the microphone. “And I asked you a long time ago to move in with me.” 

Duen laughed then, shaking his head, and Ram realised where Bohn was going with all of this. 

“And you told me to wait for a year,” Bohn explained, grinning now. “And I was so mad at you for not just saying yes there and then.”

Duen continued to shake his head, grinning widely.

“But I waited a year. And then I waited a little longer than that. And when you asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told you I wanted a rose every day again.”

The crowd broke out in cheers and chuckles and Duen laughed openly again, and Ram realised that he wasn’t needed as his wingman after all. 

“But what I really want, Duen, is that you bring those roses home, every day. To our home. So, I’m asking you, in front of, well, all those people who came here for free cake and drinks,” the amused noises in the room intensified. “If you will finally move in with me so I can stop asking you this question?”

Ram had to laugh. It could have been so romantic, but Bohn was never one to disappoint. He should have known he would find a way to annoy Duen while simultaneously being very charming about it all. 

Duen took the microphone from Bohn and dramatically turned to the crowd. Ram was impressed, and once again realised that Duen seemed to have fewer inhibitions when there was a large crowd around than when he and Bohn were alone together. 

“Mum, dad? I’m asking, just in case. If I move out, will you give my room to Daonua?”

Duen’s mother turned to her husband and they looked at each other long enough to make Duen uncomfortable, so he petulantly called out to them. “Stop it! Just tell me I can keep my room!”

Duen’s father chuckled and inclined his head, and Duen relaxed again immediately. It was the first time that Ram has seen Duen’s dad so much as acknowledge his and Bohn’s relationship and he was relieved to see that, after all, he did not seem to mind. 

“Well,” Duen turned back to Bohn. “In case things don’t work out and I still have a room to come back to, I’ll … move in with you, yes.”

Bohn hugged him so hard he almost tipped both of them off the edge of the stage and after a moment of surprise and worried shouts, the guests began cheering loudly. When Bohn turned around and looked at Ram, a wide smile on his face, Ram realised that maybe his job had been a different one all along. Bohn seemed to have wanted him to be there to witness Duen’s honest answer as to avoid any future confrontation between them. And Ram had to admit that any resentment he had had against Bohn initially had long since turned into acceptance. 

He smiled back at him and gave him a thumbs up, chuckling when Bohn laughed and then pulled away from Duen, taking the microphone back. 

“Alright, now that this part is done, would the band please start playing? There’s cake that needs eating.”

The people who had been crowding around the stage scattered a little, standing in smaller groups and slowly making their way to where the cake was cut and handed out to the guests. Ram watched them, feeling surprisingly at peace. 

“Ai’Ning,” King suddenly materialised next to him, putting a plate in front of Ram and standing close enough for his chest to press against Ram’s shoulder. Ram’s hand immediately settled on the lapel of King’s jacket, holding on to that in order to keep his hand from moving elsewhere. It didn’t help that King was wearing Ram’s favourite cologne which he hadn’t noticed earlier, but could very distinctly smell now.

“Eat some cake?” King suggested, looking both flushed with happiness from the successful surprise just then and slightly flustered. He was very clearly aware of Ram’s state of mind as his eyes kept flicking to his lips. 

Ram licked his lips and pressed his shoulder harder against him. 

King grinned and suggestively bit his bottom lip, and Ram had to look away from him. 

“I’m enjoying this,” King said under his breath and Ram elbowed him in the ribs. 

“I’m not,” he said, frowning darkly at the cake.

King had the audacity to laugh and Ram glared at him, but only for a moment because he couldn’t possible pretend to be mad when King looked at him like that. 

“Fuck, I can’t do this,” he shook his head. 

“What’s _this_?” King asked, leaning in closer again. 

“If you keep doing this, I will push you!” Ram threatened and King took a tentative step back. 

“I don’t mind,” he grinned and winked at Ram before turning around and walking away. 

Ram pulled the cake closer and began eating, trying very hard to ignore the fact that he was sitting in a room full of people with a full-blown erection pressing against that particular pair of trousers he had only ever worn to get laid. He swore to himself that he would never again wear them in public. 

He was relieved when Tang, Phu and Ting Ting joined him at the table, bringing over more food and fewer drinks than Ram had expected. A round of shots and a few cocktails, but also two pitchers of water and some soda. When he stole Phu’s shot and downed it without a second’s hesitation, his friends stopped talking and stared at him.

“Ram, are you okay?” Ting Ting asked even as she pushed her own shot glass across the table towards him. 

He drank that one, too, knowing that he should stop after this, because he needed all the self-control he could muster. 

Tang looked at his own shot glass with something like reverence before he, too, pushed it towards Ram. 

“Thank you. I’m fine.”

Tang quickly drank it before Ram could change his mind and he had to laugh about that, irritating his friends even further. He couldn’t remember actually laughing while he was out with them, and clearly, neither could they. 

“Ram?” Ting Ting tried once again. “What’s wrong?”

Ram looked at her, pouting a little. “You made him too pretty today,” he complained, realising that not drinking for months and then downing two shots did, after all, loosen his tongue a little. 

Ting Ting almost slipped out of her seat laughing while Phu and Tang didn’t seem to understand at all what he was talking about. Wiping tears from her face, Ting Ting tried to sit up straight again but started giggling again and again. 

Knowing he deserved being laughed at and yet entirely helpless considering the circumstances, Ram poured himself some water and drank the entire glass in one go. 

“Ram, baby, I love you!” she said, dabbing her cheeks with a tissue now. “But please don’t tell me you are going to sit at this table all evening. I did not style you like this so you could hide out here. You and I are going to dance. Maybe not now, but definitely later. Now, I’m going to go and get some food.” She nodded to herself and then got up and walked over to the buffet. Ram watched her walk away, feeling just a tiny little bit embarrassed. 

When he forced himself to concentrate on his friends, they looked at him as if he had grown a second head. “What?” he asked, wishing there were more shot glasses on the table after all. 

“Are you sure you are okay?” Phu asked, refilling Ram’s water glass. 

“Yes. I just didn’t expect today to go the way it went.”

“Duen said yes, huh?” Tang mused, taking a sip from his cocktail while eyeing Ram. 

“They must have talked about it before. Bohn wouldn’t have asked him in front of everyone if he had thought that he might say no.”

“Maybe he wanted to pressure him,” Tang sighed. “It’s harder to say no when 50 people are watching.”

Ram shook his head. “He wouldn’t have been so relaxed about it. And Bohn looked really happy.”

“That is because I am,” Bohn slipped into Ting Ting’s seat, grinning happily. “Everyone doing alright?”

Phu and Tang nodded, pointing at their drinks. Ram shrugged. “It’s okay. Happy birthday, P’Bohn.”

Bohn chuckled and then got up quickly when Ting Ting showed up, balancing two gigantic plates filled with food. Bohn laughed and pulled the chair out of the way so she could set the plates down on the table. She curtsied after she had gotten rid of her load and Bohn winked at her, leaving her momentarily speechless. 

“Did you just flirt with me?” she demanded, and Bohn laughed out loud. She sounded scandalised. “You ask Duen to move in with you and then you turn around and flirt with his friend? I knew you hadn’t changed, Bohn Sirikarnkul!”

Bohn actually took a step back at the use of his last name, but a split second later, Ting Ting’s thunderous expression turned into a flirtatious smile and she stepped closer to him, reaching out for his bow tie. “I think he’ll forgive you,” she cooed. “If not, I’ll happily move in with you if he changes his mind.”

“Ting Ting, sit down,” Tang hissed and Bohn laughed again. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a smirk. “You enjoy the party, hmm?” he then directed at the table in general and went on to talk to the next group of people. 

Ram was grateful for the distraction Ting Ting’s outrageous behaviour had provided him. For the first time since King’s cake-stealth attack, he felt relaxed enough to lean back in his seat. But as soon as he looked up again, he met King’s eyes across the room. He almost gasped and immediately looked at the table again. He really had to snap out of it, but he figured that he’d need fifteen minutes alone with King before he could.

He tried to distract himself by listening to his friends, to the band’s music, to the speeches that were made, but every time his eyes sought out King, King was already looking back at him. It took him a while to realise that King’s initial cockiness had given way to something else. He had been so preoccupied trying not to imagine running his fingertips along the side of his head or to push his hands under the lapels of his jacket, that he hadn’t paid too much attention to King’s expression. 

But when he looked at him across the rim of his glass, trying not to be obvious, and King, who had just been talking to Boss and Mek, turned around and immediately found his eyes, Ram could see him swallow hard before inhaling so deeply that his shirt tightened across his chest. 

Ram cocked his head experimentally, lowering the glass a little so King could see his face and then quickly licked his lips. 

The impact was much stronger than he had imagined it would be. King pushed his hair back once more, stopping in mid-movement again and dropping his hand. Then he looked down on himself and Ram felt his breath hitch when King pulled the jacket a little lower. 

He finished his water and then got up. “I need the bathroom,” he murmured and made his way to the other side of the room, avoiding King by taking a detour via the bar and dropping off a couple of empty glasses. He wasn’t even sure whether King had seen him, and for a couple of minutes, he was alone, so he locked himself in a stall, closed his eyes, and stood very still. 

When he heard the door open, his heart immediately began hammering away, even though he couldn’t be sure that it would be King.

“Ning, are you here?” 

Well. 

He opened the door and walked over to the sinks, washing his hands, slowly, deliberately, possibly cocking his hip just a little bit when he reached out to pluck tissues from the dispenser and only after he had balled them up and dropped them in the bin, he looked up. 

Ram wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it hadn’t been King, standing a couple of feet away, his hands at his sides as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, looking close to tears. Ram swallowed hard. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, taking a tentative step forward. 

“I don’t want to do this in the bathroom,” King said, his voice shaky. 

“What’s _this_?” Ram asked, feeling slightly relieved when King’s eyes widened in acknowledgement when he used the same words he had used on him earlier. 

But then he shook his head. “If we start, I won’t know how to stop.”

Ram almost moaned at the admission. “P’King …” he started but he couldn’t say anything else because suddenly King’s lips were on his and he found himself pressed head to toe to his boyfriend who seemed to have finally snapped. 

For a few seconds, the kiss was almost timid, but when Ram embraced him and squeezed, King moaned and deepened the kiss, his hands clasping at his shirt before moving down to squeeze his arse.

“Fuck,” he gasped, moving his lips to Ram’s neck. “You don’t know what this is doing to me!”

“To you?” Ram pushed King’s hair out of the way, running his thumb along the soft, cropped hair at his temple. “You know that I couldn’t get up until now because every time I looked at you …”

King’s hand slipped into his trousers and Ram’s words got lost in a moan. “P’King!” he finally managed, pushing him away. “Someone will come in.”

“Let’s go outside. I don’t want to blow you in a toilet stall!”

“People will be in the garden as well …” he pointed out, ignoring the fact that King seemed to have abandoned any thought of decorum. 

“We’ll have to see, won’t we?” he asked and pulled him close again. 

Ram held him at arm’s length by his shoulders. “P’King!” he warned, but King continued to lean into him, clearly unwilling to stop. “If we go together, they will know.”

“They will know anyway,” King whined and squeezed himself through his dress pants even as he nodded at Ram’s crotch. 

“Listen,” Ram inhaled deeply, feeling slightly more in control, if only because King so clearly wasn’t. “I’ll go first and you follow in a couple of minutes.”

In answer, King took hold of his shirt with both hands and pulled hard. Ram grunted, knowing he would remember that particular moment for a long, long time. He was so turned on that his belly felt like it was filled with liquid fire and he wasn’t entirely sure whether he would be able to walk straight once he left the bathroom. 

“I’m going to go now,” he said, brushing King’s hair back to how it had been before their kiss. 

Suddenly, King deflated a little, his fingers falling away from his chest. Where he had been buzzing with energy and arousal, he seemed a little at a loss all of the sudden. Ram knew it was probably his only chance to leave without any repercussions, but he also needed to know what was going on with King. 

“Okay, let’s go together, hmm?” he asked. “But you have to … behave.”

King huffed and stopped his hand a split second before it was about to dive into his hair again. “Okay.”

“Just breathe.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Not easy for me to do, though,” Ram grinned and then opened the door, diving right into the crowd, knowing that it was safest to mingle. It would be more difficult for anyone to give him or King a once over and notice their tight trousers. 

They made their way to the side entrance, and Ram ignored his friends, hoping they hadn’t seen him and King sneaking towards the door and outside. The air was warm and humid, but still refreshing after the crowded room. Ram inhaled deeply and was surprised when King slipped his hand into his and pulled him away. 

The garden was larger than Ram had expected, and while some guests had gone outside to smoke or have a quiet conversation, they found themselves alone after passing a hedge at the edge of the lawn. Nevertheless, King continued to walk, holding on tightly to Ram’s hand. 

“P’King,” Ram asked when the clubhouse had disappeared behind trees and bushes and it was obvious that nobody else was around. It was almost entirely dark, although the sky was bright with the reflection of the city lights against the clouds.

King inhaled deeply and then stopped, squeezing Ram’s hand before letting go. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry,” King started and then hugged Ram tightly, pressing his face against his neck. “I didn’t mean to lose control like that.”

Ram had to chuckle. “Well, I’m glad no one walked in on us, but … you just did what I had been thinking about since I arrived.”

King huffed and then pulled back a little, kissing first his cheek and then his lips. “You look so unbelievably good tonight.”

Ram laughed and pulled him back in for another kiss. “Look who’s talking,” he said drily and then finally allowed himself to touch King the way he had yearned to. He pulled his shirt out of his trousers and pushed his hands underneath, running them up and down his back, digging his fingernails into his skin when he felt like he would burst with the need to undress him right there and then. 

Somewhere along the line, King had stopped moving and was simply panting against Ram’s neck, his hands firmly attached to Ram’s arse. 

“Are you close?” Ram asked, grinding his hips against King’s, loving the desperate moan it elicited. 

“Can’t you tell?” King gasped.

“I just wanted to make sure,” Ram smirked and kissed him again before dropping to his knees. 

He wasn’t entirely sure what possessed him to do this to King only a hundred yards away from the party guests, but he knew that the only other option would have been to leave the party, and he did not want to put King into the position where he had to leave early and then explain himself to Bohn. 

He unzipped his pants and pulled his underwear down just far enough so he could pull him out and wrap his lips around him.

King keened and then pressed one hand against his mouth to keep himself from making any other loud noises. Ram was so giddy he almost laughed out loud, but then remembered that he should probably be quick about it. He wrapped two fingers around the base of his cock while using his other hand to hold on to King’s hip. He knew King wasn’t necessarily a fan of blowjobs when he didn’t have anything to hold himself up by or lean against, because his legs tended to give out – something that never failed to turn Ram on, sometimes more than the sex itself – but he didn’t seem averse to it now. His hand slipped into Ram’s hair, and he cursed quietly when he seemed to realise that he would mess up his hairstyle, too. Then he bent over a little and used Ram’s shoulder to hold himself up, his left hand still pressed against his mouth. 

Ram began moving faster, praying that nobody was looking for them just then. When he moved his hand from King’s hip to his arse and squeezed, a desperate noise escaped King and he came, his legs shaking, his hand digging painfully into Ram's shoulder. 

Ram did his best to swallow, but when King continued to press forward, he gave up and simply held him between his lips until he calmed down. Then he pulled back slowly and spat, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. King dropped to his knees in front of him, kissing him sloppily while Ram struggled a little to tuck him back into his trousers. 

Then, for quite some time, they knelt like this, on a garden path, hidden by darkness, foreheads pressed together, and not a word spoken. 

Finally, King reached out and undid Ram’s trousers, pushing them down to mid-thigh, and took him into his hand. Ram hissed at the touch, oversensitive from having been aroused for so long, but desperate for relief. 

“Be careful so I don’t come all over you,” he whispered when King began moving. 

King chuckled. “I probably have stains on my knees anyway.” But then he moved to kneel behind Ram, holding him tightly with one arm across his chest while stroking him with the other. Ram closed his eyes and tried not to cry out, pressing back against King and wishing that they were at home. 

It did not take long for him to come either, and as King whispered endearments against the shell of his ear, he suddenly felt overwhelmed with love for him. The fact that he had gone along with something as insane as getting each other off in the garden of a party venue while risking discovery or worse, and he did not feel daunted by it, drove it home that he would do anything for King. 

He squirmed when King stroked along his length one final time and wiped come off his head with his thumb before sucking his thumb into his mouth, humming contentedly. 

“You are insane,” Ram said affectionately and then pulled up his clothes and stood up. His legs were a little shaky and he wasn’t anywhere near ready to rejoin the party, but they should probably find a different spot to be alone for a bit. 

“I should have brought some of those paper towels from the bathroom,” King mused as he rubbed his hands together. 

Ram huffed and pulled him up, kissing him gently. “Thank you.”

“Oh, I’m not done with you yet,” King grinned and then took his hand again and pulled him down the garden path, further away from the house. Considering how confidently King walked, he must have known where he was going, so he followed him without question. 

They passed another hedge and suddenly stood in front of a fountain. It didn’t hold water for some reason, but the edge was wide enough to sit on. “I saw this earlier and wanted to take you here, but … well …”

Ram huffed and sat down next to him, leaning his head against King’s shoulder. “I like it,” he said with a smile, knowing King would understand the ambiguity. They were quiet for some time, still holding hands, enjoying the afterglow of their overexcited orgasms. 

“P’King?”

“Hmm?”

“Back inside, in the bathroom. Why were you sad?”

King sighed. “I wasn’t sad. I mean, not really. I just thought that it was exactly the opposite of our first kiss.”

Ram sat up straight and looked at him. “Because you wanted me to stay,” Ram chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“It just reminded me of it.”

“You know that it upsets you more than me, right?” Ram said gently, pulling up King’s hand to kiss his knuckles. “I don’t want you to be sad every time you think about it.”

King inhaled deeply. “I can’t help it. I got so close to screwing this up.”

“Hey,” Ram touched his face and guided him to meet his eyes. “No matter what you would have done, I would have stayed, okay? I would have stayed until you had said what you needed to say.”

King inhaled shakily. “I don’t want to talk about it now. Or think about it. I’m sorry.”

Ram shook his head. “What do you want to talk about,” he asked, biting his lip. 

King chuckled. “Yeah, I do want to talk about the fact that you somehow thought it was a good idea to wear that outfit to a party like this.”

“I told you I wouldn’t wear a tuxedo. But I love that you do. You look so incredibly good in your tux. And your hair?” Ram sighed and pushed his hand up and under his hair again. 

“So, you like it?” King asked, and Ram laughed and kissed him. 

“ _Like_ is an understatement.”

“And you look like James Dean’s younger brother. I mean, I knew you were gorgeous, but …”

Ram felt a blush creep up his neck and he was grateful that it was so dark. “But you were so confident in there,” he countered. “You looked _so_ good and you didn’t seem bothered at all and …”

“I just hadn’t had the chance to take it all in yet,” King chuckled. “I had been running back and forth all day and was just happy that the party had finally started, so I was still a little distracted and then you reacted … well, like you did, and it felt … it felt incredible. I hadn’t expected you to look at me like that.”

“Yeah, I hadn’t expected you to look like that,” Ram shook his head. “You know, when I got ready today, I thought I might get a kick out of flirting with you in public a little. And, well, I wanted to see your face when you saw those for the first time,” he pointed at his trousers. 

“Wait, so you wanted to see me lose my shit a little?” King laughed and kissed him sloppily. 

“Well, yes,” Ram admitted. “And that backfired pretty spectacularly.” 

King flung his arm across Ram’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I love you,” he said passionately, and something in Ram broke open that had been close to unravelling many times before, but somehow it had never quite gotten to a point where he allowed himself to just trust that things would be okay. But right there and then, sitting on the edge of the fountain, being held by King after having done something incredibly stupid and daring, and now sharing their feelings so openly with each other, he felt liberated. And he knew that it was time to go and buy a ring for King, because he hadn’t stopped thinking about it since King had first brought up the idea of a proposal, and now, more than a year later, he felt more certain than ever that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with King. 

“I love you, too,” he said quietly, pressing a little harder against him. “And I don’t think we’ll be able to hide what we’ve been doing.”

“I could call Ting Ting and ask if she can come and fix us.”

“Well, her makeup is at the condo.”

King pushed him away a little and then began tucking at his hair, twirling a few strands around his finger and pushing them back into place. “Nah, you look fine. The lipstick suffered a bit.”

Ram scowled. “Ting promised it would survive kisses.”

“I’m not sure a blowjob counts as a kiss, though,” King grinned and then he kissed him as if he wanted to make sure that not a single pigment of colour was left on Ram’s lips. 

“Should we go back?” King asked after they had pulled apart and Ram had tried to fix King’s hair. 

“Yes, I’m supposed to do a speech for when Bohn gets his present.”

“Oh, you’ll have to be on stage for that?” Ram looked down his body and back up again. 

“Wait, are you worried about the state of my clothes or are you looking forward to it?” King asked as he got up, pulling Ram with him. 

“Bit of both,” Ram admitted and slipped his hand around his waist. They walked back to the house, pressed together by the hip, until they met the first guests wandering in the garden. They checked each other over in the light of a lantern and then once again inside. It was clear that they weren’t as styled anymore as they had been, and there were decidedly more creases in both of their shirts, but there were no awkward stains anywhere. 

“I’ll join you after we hand over the present,” King promised and squeezed Ram’s wrist. 

When Ram came back to the table, his friends looked at him like they knew exactly what he and King had been up to, but he was calm enough now to keep his expression neutral and to pour himself a glass of water which he drank slowly, pretending to be bored. 

Only when Ting Ting met his eyes and winked, his mask slipped and he had to grin. 

He pulled out his phone and began typing. 

_“Send me those pictures you took of us earlier, please?”_

Ting Ting chuckled. She had taken more photos than Ram had thought, and he was surprised by his own expression. He looked stunned. But then again, King did look absolutely stunning.

_“I still blame you for this.”_

“You’re welcome,” she grinned, and then turned to look at the stage where the band had just finished their first set and made room for more announcements. 

Thankfully, King wasn’t the only one to go up on stage, so the room’s full attention wasn’t on him alone. Boss and Mek were bickering a little while Tee was attempting to re-tie his bowtie which had somehow come lose. King chuckled into the microphone as he looked at his friends. 

“Ai’Bohn, come up here,” he called out, grinning widely. 

Ram watched him, his face in his hands, grateful that he could look at him now without feeling too, too much. Right then, he simply felt proud of him, and glad that he was so confident and at ease on that stage in front of all of those people. 

Bohn came to the stage, looking a little worse for wear already, but more relaxed than Ram had ever seen him. Duen agreeing to finally move in with him seemed to have untied a knot in him and, once again, Ram was surprised by the affection he felt for Bohn now. 

The present itself wasn’t all that spectacular, but Ram knew they had prepared a more private one to give him some time next week, including several new sets of bed linen, which now made a lot more sense to Ram than it initially had. The actual gift was as much a gift to everyone as it was to Bohn, because they had booked a long weekend at a sea-side resort, with a couple of boating and diving tours. They had included Duen and Ram in the booking, even though Ram wasn’t entirely sure whether he wanted to go. 

King presented him with the catalogue and explained all the extras that were available, pointing out that for once Duen wouldn’t have to cook for Bohn to keep him from eating takeout every day because they had booked a chef for the weekend, too. Then he directed the room to sing happy birthday, because they hadn’t done that when the cake had been brought up. 

When King joined him at the table, Tang immediately gave up his seat to him and joined Ting Ting on the opposite side of the table. King leaned in for a kiss and then stopped when Ram’s eyes widened in surprise. 

Ram felt his heart in his throat when he closed the final distance to press his lips to King’s, if only for a split second, before he pulled back and pretended that nothing had happened. But he should have known that King wouldn’t just let it pass. 

“Ai’Ning,” he grinned and leaned into him. “You just kissed me.”

Ting Ting snorted loudly and pretended to slap King’s hand. “Leave him alone. He didn’t mean to.”

Ram hid his face in the crook of his elbow, but his left hand sought out King’s leg and squeezed. King, who had been about to speak again, gasped and then stayed silent. For a moment, Ram wondered what he would do, but when he felt King’s hand settle on top of his own, he felt safe enough to look up at him again. 

And King smiled at him. A simple, happy smile that melted Ram’s heart and once again he wished that they were alone so he could move closer to him. 

“How are you holding up?” King finally asked. “Do you want anything else to drink?”

Ram shook his head. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

King nodded and then turned to look at the crowd again, still holding on to Ram’s hand. The band started playing again, and their pieces got increasingly faster and more upbeat until finally, most people in the room were dancing. When Ting Ting got up and pulled Tang onto the dancefloor with her, King turned to look at Ram again, the challenge clear in his eyes. 

“You know that they will start playing a slow song as soon as we get up?” Ram said under his breath and King laughed. 

“I wouldn’t mind that either. But I do want to see you dance.”

“Are you sure?” Ram raised an eyebrow suggestively and King squeezed his hand. 

“No,” he admitted and Ram had to laugh. 

“I’m not drunk. And I’m not trying to score. I promise not to be overly suggestive,” he murmured into King’s ear. 

“You’re not?” King asked, his eyes flicking to Ram’s lips before they focused on his eyes again. 

“Well, I don’t have to, do I? Because I will anyway.”

King laughed and got up, pulling Ram into the crowd along with him. Ram inhaled deeply. It had been almost two years since he had been out dancing and it felt strange at first, letting his guard down enough to not care about the fact that he wasn’t surrounded by strangers, but by friends and acquaintances, and Duen’s family, and that he wasn’t trying to take his mind off things either. The circumstances were so unusual for him that it took him a couple of songs to fall into a rhythm that felt comfortable. 

But once he did, he was surprised to find that he could let go, without inhibitions and without feeling self-conscious. It helped that King held his gaze the entire time, moving at the same pace as he did, just an arm’s length away. 

It was so warm in the room that most guests had started to get rid of their bow ties and jackets and King left him for a moment to do the same, and when he returned, he had undone the top three buttons of his shirt and Ram’s fingers itched to slip his hand into his shirt and touch him. He reached out and undid the first two buttons, realising that his shirt had started to cling to his skin, damp with sweat. 

While he had second-guessed wearing his leather pants earlier, he was now rapidly realising that the shirt was equally troublesome. Somehow, he hadn’t expected to end up in a situation in which the shirt would cling tightly to his skin, showing a hint of his tattoos through the fabric. 

When he looked up at King, he could see that he had been right. King looked positively hungry. He had long given up trying to keep his hair in any kind of order and continued to push it back, giving Ram tantalising glimpses of his undercut. But now his hand was in his hair and he held it back, staring at Ram’s chest, his lips slightly parted and his eyebrows drawn together and Ram almost took a step back to escape the heat between them. 

But he stood his ground and when King finally let go of his hair and met his eyes again, he took a wider step forward again, moving directly into King’s personal space. 

“Like what you see?” he asked, just loudly enough for King to hear him over the music.

King licked his lips and then nodded, as if remembering that he had asked for this and now didn’t have any other choice than to go along with whatever happened. 

Suddenly, someone behind Ram lost their balance and tried to hold themselves up by his shoulders, effectively pushing him into King’s arms. And he knew he should move away. He knew it was one thing to flirt so obviously on the dance floor and another thing entirely to stand pressed together like this, but he couldn’t quite manage to. 

King’s hand briefly settled on the small of his back, tucking him closer, and Ram wondered where all the oxygen in the room had gone. But then King reached out his other hand to steady the person who had pushed Ram, making sure they regained their footing and the flash of arousal turned into affection. 

Ram clung to King, pretending just for a moment that he was still in danger of falling, feeling ridiculously like a damsel in distress when it had always been him who had kept King from falling over. The way King grinned at him when there was finally enough room to move told Ram that his thoughts had gone down a similar path. 

For a moment, they stared at each other, and then all the tension broke out of them when they dissolved into giggles. They had to hold on to each other to remain standing, laughing so hard they could barely breathe. And then the band finished their song and there were a few heartbeats of quiet during which they tried their best not to burst out laughing again and failing spectacularly. Their friends showed up, one after the other, each of them baffled and amused. Ram knew that what had drawn their attention was the fact that he laughed right along with King, which so rarely happened, and had never happened in public. 

The absurdity of the situation made it even funnier and even as the band continued and most people lost interest in the two laughing men on the dancefloor, their friends still crowded around them, waiting for an explanation so they could laugh right along with them but when Ram looked at King, wondering if they would be able to explain and King shook his head as he wiped tears from his cheeks, he knew they would never be able to. 

“I can’t breathe,” King finally gasped, wiping sweat from his forehead and more tears from his face. Ram nodded and followed him through the crowd and outside, feeling slightly less hysterical when the now much cooler air hit them and they left the noise inside. Bohn, Duen and Ting Ting followed them. For some reason, Ting Ting carried King’s jacket, and he took it from her gratefully, even though he couldn’t possibly be cold. 

They calmed down gradually, walking a few paces and Ting Ting provided tissues from her clutch, which Ram accepted eagerly. 

“The makeup was great while it lasted,” she sighed and she looked at him sceptically and Ram remembered her wink earlier. He self-consciously licked his lips and then realised that it was the worst possible thing he could have done. Thankfully, she simply grinned and then sat down on one of the benches that were scattered alongside the path that led to the front door. King dropped down next to her, inhaling deeply. Then he reached out his arm and beckoned Ram closer, pulling him down into his lap as soon as he got near enough. 

“Get a room!” Bohn complained as he sat down next to them, and then realised that Duen couldn’t possibly also fit on the bench without sitting in his lap, too. King laughed again, pressing his face against Ram’s back. 

For a while, they sat together like this, quietly enjoying the cool breeze on their damp skin, breathing the night air deeply. 

“How is your birthday?” King finally asked, leaning his cheek against Ram’s back and tightening his embrace around him a little. Ram tried not to smile too widely.

“Can’t complain,” Bohn chuckled and reached out to ruffle Duen’s hair, earning an elbow to his ribs for his trouble. 

A gust of wind made Ram shiver, his skin now clammy as his shirt hadn’t dried yet. King rubbed his arms before hugging him again, but Ram suspected that it wasn’t just the wind that made him feel cold. After the excitement and the adrenaline, he was crashing a little. 

“Do you want to go back inside?” King asked, rubbing one hand up and down his back. 

“No, I like it here,” he admitted, deciding that he would just wait things out. He much preferred to be held by King to being inside but too far apart from him. 

“Here,” King pulled his jacket from the back of the bench and draped it around his shoulders before hugging him again. Ram sighed happily and leaned into his touch.

Ting Ting was uncharacteristically quiet as she sat next to them, looking ahead into the darkness behind the hedges, seemingly lost in thought. Bohn and Duen finally started talking quietly and Ram closed his eyes, feeling warmth return to his bones. He finally plucked King’s left hand from his chest, allowing himself for the first time to imagine slipping a gold band onto his ring finger. He wondered whether King would wear it, showing his commitment to the world. Thinking about it for the first time, he realised that he would want him to but that he had no idea what he thought about it all. 

He placed his palm against King’s, marvelling at how small his own hand looked in comparison. When King’ thumb slipped around his own to gently stroke the back of his hand, he pushed his fingers between King’s and held on tightly. 

Ram pulled his hand back against his chest, but then he felt something hard press against his knuckles. For a moment he thought he had somehow missed a button on the tuxedo jacket, possibly inside the breast pocket, but there shouldn’t have been a button where his fingers still clearly rested against something solid. He moved their hands down a little and reached into the breast pocket with his other hand, wondering if King had put a key or a coin into it. He could just reach it with his fingers and pulled it out, taking a moment to realise that he was holding a ring in his hand. 

King had gone entirely still behind him, but Ting Ting blew out her breath, and Ram stared at Bohn and Duen, wondering why nobody had told him that they wouldn’t just be moving in with each other but that Bohn would actually propose. He closed his hand to a fist, hoping they hadn’t spotted what he held in his palm, but they were busy chuckling about a selfie they had taken earlier and which Bohn wanted to upload to Instagram, but neither of them could decide on the right filter for it. 

Ram turned around to face King, his back to Bohn and Duen, giving him a questioning look. “Is he really going to?” he asked under his breath, wondering why King looked as surprised as he felt. For a moment he considered that the ring had been left in the pocket by whoever had rented it the last time, but when King gently nudged his hand open and took the ring from him, looking down on it with reverence, he was certain that it wasn’t there by coincidence. 

In that moment, Ting Ting stood up and pulled a small packet out of her clutch. Ram was momentarily distracted by the fact that her tiny handbag seemed to have a lot more space than should be physically possible, because he had seen her produce all kinds of things from it all evening. It was a small flat packet that, once she pulled on its side, opened up to reveal a stack of red paper petals. She pulled them out and then threw them into the air above the bench. Bohn and Duen stopped talking, looking up in surprise. 

King nudged him and Ram sat where Ting Ting had sat a moment ago, waiting for Bohn to get up, or to do anything other than to look at the paper petals that now lay scattered around them as if they only marginally interested him. When King rose and turned towards Ram, he was entirely at a loss. Did he expect something of him? Had they forgotten to fill him in on a plan that Ting Ting was clearly aware of? But King looked too serious all of the sudden. He slowly lowered himself onto one knee in front of Ram and only then did he fully grasp what was happening. 

Ram leaned forward instinctively, wanting to pull King back up, feeling way too exposed to have King go down on his knees in front of him in the presence of his friends, but even as his ears began to burn, he withdrew his hands with an embarrassed noise. But it did make King laugh and the tension he had felt slipped away and turned into wonder. 

“Ning,” he said gently. “I know it’s not exactly what you expected, or, well, what I expected,” he picked up one of the petals from the ground and pressed it into Ram’s palm, “but I can’t possibly wait any longer. I’ve carried this ring around with me for weeks now and today seemed like a good opportunity, because, well, there’s cake and drinks anyway, and … we dressed up, a bit,” he laughed nervously but he didn’t push his hair back this time. “And I can’t not ask you.”

Ram stared at him. On a rational level, he realised what was happening, but on an emotional level he was too shocked to take it all in. The reality of it. The fact that King was on his knee in front of him, about to propose, when he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it earlier. 

“No,” he blurted out, shaking his head, realising too late what he had said and how it had sounded. King almost lost his balance, his excited smile slipping from his face. “No, P’King,” Ram shook his head harder, trying to make him see that he wasn’t, in fact, saying no. 

“Wha… what?” King gasped, his face pale, and Ram knew he had to find the right words before actually hurting King. 

“ _I_ wanted to ask _you_! I … I didn’t …I didn’t think you would.”

“What?” King repeated, sounding a little less devastated. Good, this was good. The right track. Yes. Ram inhaled deeply and then leaned forward, taking hold of King’s hands. “I was just thinking about proposing to you a minute ago and … and now you …” he was silenced when King pulled him down for a kiss. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered when they parted again, gently touching his face. Tears spilled over when King closed his eyes for a moment and Ram knew he needed to do better. He slipped down from the bench and into his arms, almost tipping him over, but holding him tightly. King knelt down properly, his hands trembling against Ram’s back. 

“Of course, I will marry you,” he whispered against his neck. “Of course, I will.”

King laughed, his voice thick with tears. “I haven’t even asked you yet.”

Ram pulled back to be able to look at him, wiping the tears from his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I screwed that up a bit, didn’t I?”

King sniffed and shook his head. “No. It’s fine. I surprised you. I should have heard you out before panicking.”

Ram inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry,” he pushed himself up and sat down on the bench again, carefully draping King’s jacket across the back of the bench, and wiping at the tears that he couldn’t quite hold back himself. “Okay, I’m ready,” he exhaled shakily. 

King laughed and then shuffled forward a little, getting up on one knee again, brushing off a bit of dust before he opened his hand that still held the ring. 

“Ning,” he started again, sniffing as fresh tears slid down his cheeks. “I know you haven’t used your lucky pencil in a while because it’s almost down to a stump, so I thought I’d put the same spell on this ring, so it doesn’t matter what pencil you use and you’ll still get good grades.”

Ram wiped his face, still not quite able to believe what King was doing and loving him fiercely for making his proposal so personal. 

King brushed his hair out of his eyes before carefully taking the ring between his thumb and index finger, holding it up between them. “Ram Vera,” his voice broke and he cleared his throat before he tried again. “Ram Vera, will you please, please marry me? I promise to adopt your dogs, and I know you are already such a good dad to my plants and …”

Ram laughed, leaning forward and pressing his index finger against King’s lips, fearing that, if he continued to talk, he would say things he didn’t necessarily want to share with their friends. 

“Yes,” he said, smiling down on King. “Yes, I will marry you.”

Their friends, who had been shocked into silence at their misunderstanding, seemed to finally be able to breathe again and Ting Ting gave a little relieved squeal, whereas Bohn groaned loudly. “This was more stressful than the entire preparation of this party,” he shook his head, but then he looked at Duen, who cried silently, his hands clutching the hem of his shirt. 

Ram realised it at the same time as Bohn and reached out to squeezed his wrist. Duen just nodded, more tears spilling over when he smiled widely at him. 

Then he turned back to King, who took his left hand in his and then carefully slipped the ring onto his finger. It was surreal to see it happen to himself after thinking about doing to it King earlier. 

“I don’t have a ring for you yet,” he admitted, gently touching the gold band. 

“That’s fine,” King shook his head and then held out his hands to Ram, letting him pull him up. Ram stood and pulled him into his arms, squeezing so tightly he drove the air out of King’s lungs. 

“But you could do something else,” King said very quietly, making Ram shiver a little. 

“What’s that?”

“Drop the honorific?”

Ram laughed and pulled back to look at King. “Really?”

“You can’t be my husband and still call me Phi.”

“Husband, hmm?” he said the word quietly, tasting it on his tongue.

“Well, fiancé for now, but …”

“King,” Ram said, smiling at King’s expression. “I’ll have to get used to it.”

“You’re far too polite for your own good,” King complained and Ram knew exactly what he was driving at. The fact that he still called him P’King, even in bed, even during sex, meant that he would truly have to make an effort to change his habit. 

“See,” Duen turned to Bohn, pressing his fist against Bohn’s chest in an imitation of boxing him. “There’s no need to call you P’Bohn.”

“Oi, it took forever until you started to treat me with respect and now you are telling me you are going to stop again?”

“Yes, Bohn,” Duen grinned and Bohn laughed and wrapped his arms around him. 

Meanwhile, Ting Ting had collected some of the petals again only to throw them into the air again. “I’m just practicing for the actual wedding,” she grinned. 

** * **

“So, that just happened, huh?” King asked after they had all settled down on the bench again, but this time he sat in Ram’s lap. Ram pressed his face against his back and nodded.

Ting Ting stood up and held out her hand to King. “Let’s go back inside and dance, shall we?”

“Why are you asking me? I want to dance with my fiancé,” King countered, staying where he was. 

“I’ll dance with you,” Duen got up and took Ting Ting’s hand instead, walking back towards the house.

“Oi, wait for me!” Bohn complained and jogged after them. 

For a moment, they sat there, the soft beats of the music filtering outside through the open doors. Ram felt quite warm now, his shivers long forgotten. 

“Do you want to dance?” he finally asked, running his hands from King’s shoulders down to his elbows, pushing a little. 

King stood up, smiling down on him. Then he gave a little bow and held out his hand, looking up at Ram from under his eyelashes, smirking. Ram felt the look almost like a touch. He held out his hand and gasped when King pulled him tightly against his body. 

Then he took a couple of steps back, away from the light of the lanterns, and began to sway. Ram closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. 

“So, you had the ring for a while?”

“Hmm,” King affirmed. “I even asked your parents. But I was too scared to ask you, even though I’m not sure why. And then Bohn announced the party and he said it might be a good opportunity.”

“That’s why he insisted that I come,” Ram realised. “Not because of Duen at all.”

“Well, it was good for Duen that you came.”

“And Ting?”

“She told me how you … used to date guys who had an undercut.”

“Well, date,” Ram huffed and King chuckled. 

“She said the majority of men she saw you with had one, so she proposed that I get one, too, just to … make you more amenable.”

Ram pulled back a little. “ _Majority_ makes it sound like I was sleeping around a lot,” he scrunched up his nose. “But she’s right. I really, really like it. It just feels really nice and it suits you so well.”

“You probably would have said yes even without it, huh?” King took Ram’s hand and carefully placed it behind his ear, closing his eyes when Ram touched him. 

“Yeah, but this is extra nice.”

“Should I have done it at home? You know, like I imagined?”

“I mean, I probably would have reacted a little differently if I had come home to find you naked on the bed, rose petals scattered around you and so many candles burning that we’d have to turn on the AC immediately after.”

King laughed. “Thank you for destroying that particular fantasy.”

“I’m sorry I freaked you out. I couldn’t think for a moment.”

King pulled him back against his chest. “In hindsight, it was really rather sweet.”

Ram grunted, biting his neck gently. “You keep using words like that.”

“Like what?” King asked, amused, his hands slipping a little lower on Ram’s back. 

“Sweet, adorable …”

“Well, you could say I’m not one to judge but … I really am,” King laughed and kissed him and Ram’s attempt to contradict him got lost between King’s lips. 

** * **

“How would you have done it?” King asked as they climbed out of the cab, the first rays of the sun peeking over the roofs of the surrounding buildings. 

“Hmm?”

“Proposed to me.” 

Ram stopped for a moment to look at the morning sky. “I probably would have asked you by now,” he admitted. “Especially if Bohn would have proposed to Duen.”

King squinted at him as the sun bathed his face in light. “Why?”

“Because then it would have been addressed at the party and everyone would have talked about it and I probably would have said something in a really awkward moment.”

King laughed and took his hand, pulling him into the building. 

“So,” King closed the door behind them and leaned against it as he toed off his shoes. “Can I imagine that you would have done it on the dance floor, with your shirt open like it was earlier, out of breath after a couple of fast songs and once you started speaking, the music would stop and everyone would have heard it?”

Even thinking about such a scenario made Ram nervous, but he could see why King would have liked that. Just a few words, addressed to King in front of a crowd. Words that were only ever going to be meant for King. Words that proved, once and for all, that King’s plan to get closer to Ram so he would talk to him had succeeded. 

“Yes, that’s probably exactly how it would have happened,” he said and then he held out his hand to King, pulling him close before picking him up and carrying him into the bedroom. He had done that many times by now, but this time it meant so much more. 

They fell into bed, barely managing to shed their clothes before they sought each other out and, arms and legs entangled, fell asleep just as the sun broke through the curtains of the bedroom window.


End file.
